From the Ashes: Pyre
by CheshireMidnight
Summary: RUN' That one word kept sounding in Isabel's mind like an alarm as she raced through the busy streets of the town she had called home for nearly five years. The frigid night air whipped at her face as she ran and felt like knives as it rushed into her lungs with each gasping breath, but even the cold did little to quell the immense heat growing inside her. (Book 1 of my series)
1. Part 1: The Spark to Ignite The World

_'RUN!'_

That one word kept sounding in Isabel's mind like an alarm as she raced through the busy streets of the town she had called home for nearly five years. The frigid night air whipped at her face as she ran and felt like knives as it rushed into her lungs with each gasping breath, but even the cold did little to quell the immense heat growing inside her. She was thankful no one seemed to take notice as the snow falling over the sleepy little town evaporated before it could even touch her skin, though she was certain they took notice of her. After all, how many people would be running through the snow in Maine in a tank top and shorts? As the sound of sirens drew closer she made a swift turn down a back alley, the fence at the end hardly even registering in her mind as she quickly tossed her backpack over before scaling the chain link after it. The snow melted as she landed in a crouch on the other side, but she gave herself no time for rest as the voice in her head screamed once more for her to run. Snatching her bag from the ground she hoisted it back over her shoulder and took off up the hill away from the town. It felt like hours had passed before her legs couldn't take it anymore and she fell to her knees in the snow exhausted and out of breath.

 _"Where are you trying to run to?"_ A foreign voice sounded in her head causing her to jump to her feet and look around frantically.

"Who's there?" She shouted into the wind as two men crested the hill before her. She could feel the heat beginning to pool in her chest again as she stared at them wide eyed.

"I apologize for startling you. My name is Charles Xavier; this is my associate Erik Lensherr." One of them spoke as they approached. She quickly recognized his voice as the one that had just spoken in her mind.

"Who are you? How-how did you do that?" Isabel asked taking a cautionary step back as they stopped a few feet away.

"It's alright, we're like you. My power allows me to communicate with you telepathically and read your mind. Erik here can control metal. We're mutants, like yourself." Charles explained calmly though they could tell that her fear was still growing as the snow at her feet melted away and the grass beneath began to twist and turn black. Taking another step back Isabel shook her head as tears fell from her eyes only to evaporate before they had even made it half way down her cheeks.

"No, you're not! You're not like me; no one's like me! I...those people...I-I killed them!" She choked on her words like poison and her hand went to her mouth as if she were just now realizing what had happened.

"It was self defense; if you hadn't they would have killed you." The other man, Erik, said sternly. Isabel was shaking violently as she wrapped her arms around herself tightly and fell once more to her knees.

"But I can still see their faces!" She said between sobs. Charles began to reach out to comfort her, but quickly withdrew his hand as he felt a wave of heat roll off of her.

"Isabel, I need you to calm down." He said as he turned to try and urge Erik away from the young woman, "I can help you control it, but you must calm yourself!" Erik shot his friend a slightly confused look at hearing the waver of fear in his voice, but he soon understood as he looked back at the girl before them. They watched with wide eyes as the blackened grass around her turned to ash in the wind and the ground began to develope glowing red cracks.

"I can't! I can't stop it!" Isabel said softly as she lifted her pleading gaze to the two men, "Please, help me!" At her agonized request Charles reached out with his mind to make her sleep, but as his mind touched hers he staggared back in pain.

"Charles? Charles, make her sleep!" Came Erik's frantic voice as Isabel's hands went to hold her head.

"I can't get through to her. Her powers are shielding her mind from me." Charles admitted as they both stared at the young woman. They could see the desperation in her eyes as they shifted from a bright, icy blue to a glowing golden red like the color of hot embers and flames slowly began to envelope her body, growing with each passing second. Her eyes were still locked with theirs as Erik shot his hand out toward her and she felt a sharp pain across the side of her head. Her eyes fluttered slightly at the initial feeling before she fell to the ground unconcious.

Isabel shot up in bed, her hand flying up to cradle her head as it throbbed mercilessly, and looked around the unfamiliar room.

"Apologies for the headache, but I'm afraid you didn't leave us much choice." A vaugely familiar voice said bringing her attention to the door where the two men from before now stood.

"Trust me, it was better than the alternative." She admitted dejectedly as she rubbed her hand over the side of her face, sweeping stray locks of black hair behind her ear with the motion. Her expression twisted into one of confusion as she once again looked around the room before her eyes finally fixed back on the two men.

"Where am I?" She asked as Charles made his way over to take a seat at the foot of the bed.

"Perhaps it would be best if I explain everything else first." He said as she watched him, patiently waiting for him to elaborate.

"So, this is a CIA facility." Isabel stated when he had finished explaining the situation.

"Yes." Charles said carefully, gauging her reaction. He was more than a little surprised when she nodded thoughtfully before giving a soft laugh.

"Now I understand why you wanted to explain everything first." she said before another thought made her pause, "So, there are other people like us here?"

"Yes, would you like to meet them?" Charles asked enthusiastically as he rose from his seat. As Isabel moved the covers aside it dawned on her that she was still wearing her tank top and shorts from the previous night and she scanned the room until her eyes landed on her backpack sitting in a chair in the corner.

"I should probably get cleaned up first, I smell like a chimney." She admitted, looking away sheepishly.

"Well, the shower is at the end of the hall to the right. Once you're ready we'll be in the office down the hall to the left, third door on your right. Take as much time as you need." Charles said as the three of them made their way to the door, but he paused at the threshold to look back at her, "So...does this mean you'll stay?" Isabel stopped and looked down at her hands, persing her lips in tense contemplation.

"You really think you can help me control my powers?" She asked hesitantly.

"I do." Charles insisted placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "It will take work, but I will do everything I can to help you." Isabel lifted her gaze to meet Charles', but it was Erik who noticed the weighted look of resignation in their icy depths and he knew all too well what was going through her mind.

"And if he can't help you I'll kill you myself." Erik promised flatly.

"Erik!" Charles scolded, shooting the other man a pointed look, but his expression faltered as a faint smile appear on Isabel's lips.

"It's alright, Charles. Thank you, Erik, it means more to me than you know. I'll stay." She admitted, flashing the taller man a thankful smile. He gave her a short nod in return before exiting the room with Charles close behind and Isabel frowned as she heard them begin arguing as they made their way to the office Charles had mentioned. Grabbing her backpack she headed for the bathroom and gave a heavy sigh as she eyed her appearance in the mirror. After a moments hesitation she pulled her previously obtained tub of bleach from her bag and began applying it carefully to her hair, watching as the black pigment began to fade. After letting the bleach set for its alotted time she turned on the shower and adjusted it to her liking before stepping in, letting out a relieved sigh as the nearly boiling water flowed over her skin. It wasn't until her shower was over and she stepped out that she realized she had no towel and, with an agravated groan, she positioned herself in the center of the room. Once she had made sure that nothing was too close she closed her eyes tightly and focused all of her energy. It didn't take long for her to feel the familiar tingle coursing through her, causing the water left on her body and in her hair to evaporate. She was exhausted by the time she pushed the heat back down, but she knew she still needed to meet the other mutants. With that thought keeping her motivated she took out her scissors and set to work on her hair again. It wasn't until she had gotten dressed and finished applying what little makeup she wore that she finally stopped to take in her newly altered appearance. She had changed her appearance before for the sake of hiding, but as she looked at her reflection in the mirror she smiled with the thought that this just might be the last time she had to hide. Her previously straight, black hair had been restored to its natural color by the bleach and now hung in loose, white gold curls. Its length had only changed slightly in trimming the dead ends up to the middle of her back, but it was her bangs she had missed the most over the years of constant change. Where she had parted her hair in the middle before, it was now parted to the side as she prefered and she had trimmed her bangs at an angle, as her mother had, so that they curved to gently frame her right cheek. The sight nearly made her cry as memories of her mother cutting her hair when she was a child filled her mind, but as she felt heat beginning to pool in her hands she quickly forced the memories away and made her way out of the bathroom. She could hear Charles and another person talking as she approached the office and paused just before the doorway to take a deep breath as she realized they would be the first people to see the real her in nearly ten years. With one last deep breath she stepped forward and gave a soft knock on the open door to get their attention, but found herself looking away and rubbing her arm nervously as the rooms three ocupants turned to look at her.

"Wow! You look...different." Charles said, smiling warmly at her as he took in the drastic change. Her tank top and shorts had been replaced by an airy, red sun dress that hugged her petite frame before flowing loosely to her knees. Sandals adorned her feet now rather than the high heeled boots she had worn the night before and without their aid Charles could now see just how petite their new recruit truly was. As he stood he calculated the difference in their hight and found that she couldn't be any more than five foot three, a revelation which made him smile as he approached her, taking in the rest of her appearance as he did so. He had to admit that without the black hair she looked much brighter and warmer, but all three men were struck to their cores as she slowly lifted her gaze and they could see how the deep black of her precisely winged eyeliner made her eyes appear even lighter than their already striking icy blue.

"This is actually close to my natural hair color." Isabel admitted wrapping her arms around herself like she had the night before only now it was in nervousness rather than fear. Her behavior snapped Charles from his daze and he decided it best to change the subject.

"Are you ready to meet the others?" He asked and was pleased to see her relax a bit as she nodded and smiled in response.

"After you." Erik finally spoke, gesturing for Isabel to exit the room first.

"We'll continue our discussion later." Charles said to the agent before joining his fellow mutants in the hall.

"You look lovely by the way." He whispered as he stepped past her to lead the way to the lounge.

"Don't you think it's a bit drastic, Charles?" Erik asked, but it was Isabel who answered instead.

"The black hair and dark makeup was to help me hide. Last night wasn't the first time I lost control." she said softly before admitting something that took both men by surprise, "I actually have tried to practice controlling it and I can do pretty well if I can stay calm, it's just exhausting. Whenever I'm under a lot of stress or very upset...that's when the bad things happen."

"Is that how you dried your hair?" Charles asked curiously as the thought suddenly dawned on him. A light blush spread across her cheeks as he looked back at her over his shoulder, answering his question. They walked a bit longer in comfortable silence until Erik spoke from beside Isabel startling her slightly.

"This look suits you better." He admitted and Isabel realized he must have been comparing her two appearances the entire time they had been walking. A small smile graced her lips as she was about to reply, but was cut off as Charles stopped to open a door and they realized they had arrived at the room the other recruits were in.

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet our new team member; this is Isabel." Charles said with a wide smile as he turned to gesture to the young woman who paused at the doorway. She jumped again as Erik placed his hand over the small of her back gently urging her forward. Maintaining her marked hesitation she took a cautious step into the room, feeling his hand fall away as she moved to stand beside Charles while Erik took her place in the doorway.

"Hi, I'm Raven; Charles' sister." A young woman greeted enthusiastically as she jumped up from the sofa. However, before she could close the small space between them a ginger haired young man rushed forward, thrusting his hand toward a surprised Isabel.

"Sean, Sean Cassidy." He introduced himself with a cocky smirk that informed her he was trying to hit on her, but she ignored the smirk as her eyes landed on his outstretched hand.

"I-I don't think that's a good idea." She said wrapping her arms around her torso so her hands were tucked under her arms.

"Don't pay any attention to Sean, he apparently hits on anything with breasts." Raven said, thankfully unperterbed by the other girls odd behavior. Despite Raven's pleasant demeanor Isabel still felt nervous as she introduced the rest of the team and her unease became justified when the young man who had been introduced as Hank began asking about her powers. It was clear he had struck a nerve with his question as she began chewing at her bottom lip and shifting from one foot to the other rapidly, but Charles was quick to remedy the situation before things got out of hand.

"I believe that's enough for now; I'm sure Isabel would like to get some rest. I'll be back shortly to speak with the rest of you." He said waving farewell to the younger adults as he and Isabel turned to leave the room.

"Thank you." Isabel said softly as she, Charles, and Erik once again made their way down the hallway.

"Don't thank me just yet; I'm afraid there's still one more person for you to meet." Charles informed her and was admittedly a bit surprised when she gave no show of protest. The trio walked on in silence until Charles turned to open one of the many doors that lined the hall.

"Evening Moira." he greeted as they entered the room and the woman behind the desk rose from her seat, "This is our new recruit, Isabel. Isabel this is Agent Moira McTaggert." The brunette woman quickly made her way around the desk, snatching up her coat as she extended her hand to the other woman, but before Isabel was forced to repeat her warning from earlier Erik stepped forward to stand beside her.

"She doesn't shake hands." He said, quickly dismissing Moira's gesture. The older woman faltered slightly with confusion before removing her hand and pulling on her jacket as she lead the way back into the hall. As they walked she filled them in on the intel they had uncovered regarding Shaw and informed them that they would be bringing the other mutants with them on their mission, but Erik was quick to argue on the grounds that none of them had been trained yet.

"The plane leaves for Russia in an hour." Moira informed them, seeming to have not heard Erik, though Isabel guessed it was more likely she had simply ignored him instead.

"I'm telling you, these kids are not ready for Shaw." He protested again.

"I think they're gonna surprise you. They're an exceptional bunch of young people." Charles argued in their defense, instantly regretting his boast as they entered the courtyard just outside of what remained of the window looking into the lounge.

"What the hell?" Moira questioned as they made their way closer. The imaculate couryard Isabel had seen through the window not thirty minutes earlier was now in disarray as shattered glass littered the ground, flaming gouges mared the walls, and the statue at its center now lay sliced in two. Inside the room was in much the same state as Raven danced on the sofa, Hank hung upside down from the light fixture, and Alex and Sean bussied themselves breaking chairs across Darwin's rock like skin.

"What are you doing?" Moira shouted drawing their attention to the four adults now watching them, "Who destroyed the statue?" She demanded when they simply stared at her wide-eyed.

"It was Alex." Hank admitted frantically as he jumped down from the light. Alex shot him an incredulous look before Raven corrected her new friend.

"No, Havok. We have to call him Havok. That's his name now." she said with a wide smile, clearly not yet comprehending the severity of the situation as she went on, "And we were thinking, you should be Professor X and you should be Magneto." She concluded gesturing to Charles and Erik respectively.

"Exceptional." Erik said, sarcastically mocking Charles.

"I expect more from you." Charles scolded as the four of them left the courtyard.

"Isabel, despite your lack of training, I think it would be best if you at least accompanied us to Russia. Keeping you close by seems like the most prudent course of action should something happen." He said as he caught up to the other three.

"Charles, I read your report from last night, are you sure about this?" Moira asked as they all came to a sudden stop.

"I actually agree with him. I don't think anyone here is equipped to handle it if I lose control. At least if I'm with you all Erik could just knock me out again." Isabel reasoned, eliciting a small chuckle from Erik as she silenced any doubts the others had.

"Right, we'd best get ready then." Charles said with a nod as Moira headed off in one direction and the three of them headed back toward their rooms. Some time later Isabel heard a knock at her door and opened it to find Erik standing just outside.

"Charles and Moira are waiting in the car; he asked me to get you. Are you ready?" He asked. Hoisting her backpack over her shoulder she nodded and followed him as he lead the way to the car parked at the front of the building.

"My partner Levine's meeting us at the plane." Moira said as they climbed into the back seat and sped away from the compound. Isabel found herself wondering what to do as her three companions fell into a discussion about Shaw and decided to try and find something to occupy her in her bag.

"Why did you bring all of that?" Erik asked as her backpack fell open to reveal a rather odd collection of items. Isabel's eyes scanned over everything, watching the memories tied to each item play through her mind before she answered.

"I never go anywhere without them." She replied with a soft smile as she pushed a blue ballerina music box aside to retrieve the book underneath. Erik dropped the subject as she closed the bag and opened her book at the last point she had left off, though he found himself smiling at how blisfully unaware she was that he was still watching her from the corner of his eye. Her nose remained burried in her book even as they arrived at the airport and boreded the CIA's private plane. It wasn't until the sound of someone clearing their throat in front of her that she looked up from the old book to smile at Charles.

"Mind if I join you?" He asked gesturing to the seat across from her. She replied with a slight nod to the seat letting him know it was alright as she marked her page and put her book down.

"I know this all must be very strange for you. I mean, we've only just met and you're being swept up in a fight amongst other mutants. There have been so many distractions today that I've neglected learning anything about you." He said sounding slightly embarassed.

"What did you want to know?" Isabel asked, both curious and cautious.

"Well, I know it's not exactly an appropriate question to ask a lady such as yourself, but for one I was wonding how old you are." He admitted, markedly confused when she gave a soft laugh.

"I'm twenty-three." She replied.

"You're-you're twenty-three? I have to admit, I expected you to be younger than Raven given your appearance." Charles admitted before realizing what he had just said, "Oh God! I didn't mean it to sound as if I were saying Raven looks old. Please don't tell her that I said that; I'd never hear the end of it." Erik's attention was drawn to the pair as Isabel laughed merrily at Charles' comical fumble of words and a look of confusion came to his face as he realized how often he found himself looking at this girl he had only just met. She didn't seem to notice him however as they resumed their conversation and Erik decided it best not to pry as he turned his attention to the window he was seated by. Some time later he heard movement to his right and looked up to find Charles coming to join him.

"She's asleep; poor girls powers seem to drain her energy even when she's not using them." He said when he noticed Erik's eyes dart past him to where he had previously been seated.

"If they exhaust her that easily she won't fair very well in a fight." Erik commented shortly, though his eyes stayed fixed on Isabel's sleeping form.

"Yes, I'm afraid it does put her at a bit of a disadvantage, but that's why we need to train. I truly believe that with training each of our recruits will be able to learn more about their abilities." Charles said with a smile.

"What about her? Do you truly believe you can help her control her powers?" Erik asked nodding to Isabel as she slept.

"It will take time and I'm certain it will be hard for her..."

"Can you help her, Charles?" Erik repeated sternly. Charles was startled at the tense look on his friends face as he remembered what Erik had promised Isabel that morning.

"Erik, why did you promise to kill her if we can't help her?" He asked causing Erik to set his jaw in a tight line.

"It was the only way she would stay. If I hadn't made that promise she would probably be dead right now instead of sleeping." Erik replied sharply before adding with a curt chuckle, "You're supposed to be the telepath, Charles, not me."

"I won't read her mind Erik. She's able to create a sort of mental firewall to block me out that I'm not certain she even realizes she creates. Last night it felt as though my mind were physically on fire; she is far stronger than she thinks. If she truly wanted to I'm certain she could have killed me when I tried to make her sleep." Charles revealed, but Erik was unphased by this information as a look of anger entered his eyes and he leaned toward the other man.

"That is exactly the problem, Charles! She knows what she is capable of and she is afraid of that power. If we can't help her she will kill herself, I saw it in her eyes this morning. That is why I made that promise!" He said, clearly agitated as a sudden realization struck Charles.

"You're afraid of having to keep that promise." He posited as Erik sat back in his seat and turned his attention once more to the woman sleeping nearby.

"There's more to her than what she's told us. I know the look of someone who has lost everything, Charles. She doesn't deserve to lose her life as well." He said softly, watching with sad eyes as Isabel's expression twisted into one of pain and he could hear a faint whimper escape her as she tossed restlessly in her sleep.

"Erik, she is far stronger than you or she believe. That girl holds an imense power inside her, I felt it last night, and I believe that with the proper training and patience Isabel could very well become one of the strongest mutants to ever live." Charles spoke honestly, but as Erik continued to watch Isabel in silence he decided to leave their discussion at that and left to speak with Moira. A few hours later the plane landed and Erik made his way over to where Isabel still slept.

"Welcome to Russia." He said with an amused grin as she jolted awake. Isabel could feel the eyes that watched her curiously as she walked past the soldiers who greeted them outside and opted for standing just behind Charles rather than beside him as Erik did. It was clear that the soldiers were wondering why she was there, but the only thing she could think was how long it had likely been since any of them had seen a woman and the thought made her shift uncomfortably as Levine briefed them on the situation.

"Just ignore them." Erik whispered, drawing her attention to him as he looked back at her over his shoulder. She gave a small smile in return, thankful that someone had noticed her unease, and nodded trying her best to listen to his advice. In the open it was easy to ignore them as she distracted herself with the scenery around them, but as they all climbed into the back of the box truck the close proximity was hard to ignore and she found herself inching closer to Erik each time one of them glanced her way. For the most part she tried her best to keep her eyes on her hands, but as one particularly close soldier turned his attention to her she quickly scooted farther from him until her and Erik's legs were practically touching.

"Are you alright?" He asked softly at noticing her tense posture and the growing heat radiating from her. Unable to find her words Isabel instead let her eyes dart to the soldier as he slid closer to her, but who quickly slid away again as Erik shot him a cold look of warning. Looking around at the rest of the trucks occupants he found that most of them had their eyes firmly fixed on Isabel and without a word he carefully put his arm around her waist. Feeling her jump at the action he tightened his grip ever so slightly and looked back at her to find a look of confusion on her face as she stared at him. With an almost impercievable tilt of his head he drew her attention to the soldiers, most of which had stopped staring at her now, and was happy to see a small smile come to her face as the heat around her settled back to a normal temperature. With the situation remedied Erik turned his attention to Charles and fell into conversation with the other man leaving Isabel to her thoughts. They were all drawn out of the own worlds as Moira opened the small window which seperated the back of the truck from the cab.

"We've got a problem." Levine said tensely as he brought the truck to a stop.

"I'm so sorry, this wasn't on the map." Moira said as Charles and Erik peeked through the window to see Russian soldiers approaching the truck with dogs.

"No matter what happens act normally. I'll take care of this, alright?" Charles reassured as he stood. Unsure what exactly was going on, Isabel tensed and nearly jumped out of her seat as she heard one of the dogs outside begin to bark, but Erik's arm quickly tightened around her holding her in place. Looking over at him she was met with a small smile as he silently reassured her that everything was alright.

"Now listen to me, I need all of you to stay absolutely quiet." Charles informed as everyone exchanged confused glances.

"Easy! Easy. Take it easy, chaps." He said as they all tensed and aimed at the door as they heard Levine unlock it. They all held their breaths as Charles held his first two fingers to his temple and focused on the door just as it swung open. They were all in a state of bewilderment as Levine and the Russian soldier looked in at them, but seemed to see nothing. As the nervewracking silence seemed to drag out around them Isabel found herself subconciously reaching over to find Erik's hand which she wrapped her own around tightly. She didn't notice his slightly puzzled glance in her direction as her eyes remained fixed on the two men just outside the truck until Levine closed the doors and she released the breath she had been holding. It wasn't until the truck started moving again and Erik gave her fingers a gentle squeeze that she realized she was holding his hand and quickly let go as a light blush painted itself across her cheeks.

"Sorry about that, it's just...I guess I felt safer knowing you could stop it if that soldier had started shooting." She said sheepishly avoiding eye contact as she tried to reason away her actions. It was a freedom he happily allowed her as he too wished to put the situation behind them and they finished out their journey in a casual silence. Stopping the truck a safe distance from the large estate the soldiers were instructed to wait there until they were needed while Charles, Erik, and Isabel found a safe vantage point at the edge of the woods with Moira and Levine. They were all surprised when it became clear that Shaw wasn't coming and they were debating what to do next when Erik had had enough.

"She's his right-hand woman. That's good enough for me." He said, moving to get up when Moira grabbed his arm to stop him.

"The CIA invading the home of a senior Soviet official? Are you crazy?" She warned sharply, but the grin on Erik's face told them that he didn't care.

"I'm not CIA." He corrected before pulling away and taking off toward the heavily guarded estate.

"Erik!" Charles called sharply, but went unheard. Isabel didn't hear the discussion between her three companions as she watched Erik charging toward the house. As the first two guards raised their guns to fire at him instinct took over and Isabel suddenly dashed from her hiding place, deaf to the voices of protest coming from behind her as she raced into the house. She caught up with Erik just as he rounded a corner in the hall and came face to face with two guards, but as the sound of her ragged breathing caught his attention he found himself distracted. He didn't even register that the guards had fired until

he felt the bullets cutting through the air. Only one thought ran through his mind as he quickly turned, wrapping one arm around Isabel as he used his own body to shield her while his other hand flew forward, stopping the bullets mere inches from them. Glaring over his shoulder at the guards he lifted his hand causing their guns to strike them and he gave a satisfied smirk as he watched them fall to the ground unconscious.

"Are you alright?" He asked Isabel as she stared up at him in shock. As she gave a small nod of confirmation she was even more surprised to feel him take her hand.

"Come on." He instructed, pulling her along behind him. Charles finally caught up with them just as they reached the Russian officers suite and burst through the door, each finding themselves confused as the man groped the air while the blonde woman they had seen earlier sat on the sofa nearby.

"Nice trick." Charles said as he broke the man from her illusion, "Go to sleep." He ordered as the man drew his gun only to collapse back onto the bed. Isabel's eyes went wide as the woman stood, her entire body turning to diamond as she did.

"You can quit trying to read my mind sugar." Emma warned as Charles flinched in pain, "You're never going to get anything from me while I'm like this." With that she made a run for the door only to have the two men catch her by the arms and force her back against the foot of the bed.

"So then you can just tell us." Erik said as the metal bedframe twisted around her wrists to hold her in place, "Where's Shaw?" As she glared up at him defiantly one of the metal bars began to wind itself around her throat, squeezing tightly as she strained against it.

"Erik! Erik, that's enough!" Charles snapped, but Erik simply ignored him as he coiled the metal bar tighter around her throat.

"Erik, that's enough!" Charles warned again as they watched a crack form across her neck, but it was Isabel's gentle hand on Erik's arm that finally made him stop. As the metal bar recieded Emma's diamond form fell away, but Charles was still hesitant to try and read her mind.

"She won't be shifting into diamond form again; if she does just give her a gentle tap." Erik said as the last of his anger faded away and he finally turned to look at Isabel. Though her hand still rested on his arm her head was turned away as she refused to look at him and Erik found that this posture made him feel guilty as it dawned on him that it was a posture that exuded fear.

"This is far worse than we previously imagined." Charles said over his shoulder before turning his focus back to the woman in front of him, "We're taking you with us. The CIA will want to question you themselves."

"I doubt it." Emma replied with a superior smirk that put all three of them on edge, "They have bigger things to worry about right now."

"Charles, what is she talking about?" Isabel asked, though she was almost certain she knew the answer already. Charles was silent for a minute as he again delved into the womans thoughts and, as he turned back to his friends, his expression alone told Isabel that her conclusion was right.

"We have to go." He said softly before the full weight of things set in, "We have to go now!" With that Erik bound Emma's wrists with a piece of metal from the bedframe and dragged her out of the building with them as the group dashed back up the estate driveway to where Moira and Levine now stood waiting.

"We have to leave! Shaw's attacking the facility!" Charles said in clear panic. That was all it took to motivate Levine and Moira as they all sprinted back to the truck before speeding back to the plane. Charles was still panicing even as the plane took off and, as the plane leveled and it was again safe to move around, Isabel made her way over to try and calm the telepath.

"We never should have left. What if he takes Raven or worse?" Charles chastized himself as she bent down to place a kind hand over his.

"I know you're worried, but it'll be alright." She said softly, but was unprepared for his response.

"How could you possibly think any part of this is alright? You don't know a thing about it!" He snapped causing her to jolt upright as he caught the attention of the planes other three occupents. For a moment everything fell silent until a sharp slap cut through the air and Charles' hand flew up to cup his stinging jaw as he now stared up at Isabel with wide eyes.

"You're the one who knows nothing, Charles! At least you still have a chance to see your sister again! At least you don't have to live with the burden of watching your entire family be experimented on, tortured, and killed right in front of you because of your mistake! Don't you dare act like you've lost everything! You can't even begin to imagine what that feels like!" She screamed as her eyes shifted to the glowing ember color he had seen when they first met. Moira and Levine jumped up from their seats as the temperature in the cabin began to rise rapidly, but neither of them made another move as they realized they had no idea how to quell the situation.

"Isabel." Erik's voice was calm and steady as he put his hand on her shoulder and as she looked back at him he could already see some of the anger leaving her eyes. With a gesture toward the back of the cabin he guided her away only pausing briefly to look back at Charles with a slightly sad expression.

 _'I tried to warn you, Charles. There is far more to this girl than we know.'_ Erik thought as Charles read his mind. It wasn't until that moment that Charles was forced to face the fact that he may _not_ be able to help Isabel, but, as he remembered the look on Erik's face as they spoke earlier of his promise, Charles made a silent promise of his own that he would exhaust every option available to him until she was able to control her powers.

"Her powers exhausted her again." Erik said a short time later as Charles came to sit scross from him and the now sleeping woman. Charles couldn't help but smile as he took in the sight of the angelic girl sleeping peacefully as her head rested on Erik's shoulder and he wondered what compelled the other man to let her stay there until a thought occured to him.

"You two seem to be growing rather close." he said thoughtfully, but Erik only gave a small grunt in response making him add, "Isabel trusts you, my friend, and from what I've seen I doubt that's a trust easily earned." At that Erik shifted his gaze from Charles to Isabel and frowned deeply.

"I've done nothing to earn her trust." He said flatly, but Charles simply leaned back in his seat and smiled at the scene before him as he finally noticed Erik's arm tentatively encircling her waist. Taking into account her current unconscious state Charles chanced a glimpse into her mind and his smile widened at the dream he found playing through her mind.

"Oh, I believe it may be more than mere trust." he said before becoming somber as he met the other mans gaze, "I've seen you protect her both from herself and others, but, I must caution you, Erik, don't forget to protect her from yourself as well. Sometimes the greatest obsticle between us and happiness is our own mind." Charles knew that his warning had struck a cord as Erik tensed and his hand moved to grip Isabel's side ever so slightly.

"The pilot says we'll be landing in twenty minutes." Moira announced as she made her way over, only to turn to Charles with a confused look. Erik paid the brunette no mind as his eyes were fixed on Isabel, and Charles simply smiled and gave her a look that told her he would explain later. Isabel was awake by the time they landed, but remained firmly by Erik's side as they anxiously made their way back to the CIA compound unsure of what awaited them. As soon as they exited the car Charles ran to Raven and Isabel noted that two of the people she had met the day before were now missing.

"Thank God you're alright! We've made arrangements for you all to be taken home immediately!" Charles said as he pulled Raven into a relieved embrace.

"We're not going anywhere," Sean interjected quickly as he gestured to Alex sitting beside him, "and he's not going back to prison."

"They killed Darwin." Raven said as she pulled away to look at Charles.

"All the more reason for you to leave." He said sternly.

"He killed Darwin, Charles, and we can't even bury him." Raven emphasized as he was forced to face her broken expression.

"We can avenge him." Erik concluded after a moment of silence.

"Erik, a word please." Charles said sharply as he pulled his friend to the side for a brief argument that Erik seemed to win as Charles turned back to the young mutants.

"We'll have to train, all of us, yes?" He asked to which all of them nodded.

"We can't stay here, Charles." Isabel finally spoke.

"She's right; even if they reopen the department it's not safe. We have nowhere to go." Hank agreed, but Charles was unshaken as a small smile found it's way to his face.

"Yes we do."


	2. ANNOUNCEMENT

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE**_ _Hello everyone, just wanted to give you all an update and le you know what's been going on. First off I'd like to apologize for not posting a new chapter recently, however I am working on it. Due to family and health issues I haven't been able to write as much as I would like, but I want to assure everyone that I am still working on both of my stories as well as some others. Now that my work hours are increasing again I'm afraid I won't be able to update as often, so each story will be updated once a month so that I can work on all of them. If I'm able to post more often I will, but there will drfinitely be a monthly update to each story so be sure to favorite them and check back often. Thanks for the understanding and much love to all of my loyal readers._ _~Cheshire_


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